Yikes.
BYU didn’t have any problems in against Idaho in a 42-7 victory on Saturday, but the Cougars lost starting quarterback Riley Nelson in the process.
Nelson left the game about midway through the first quarter directly following a touchdown pass to receiver Cody Hoffman. Nelson, who took some monstrous hits on the drive, immediately headed into the locker room. BYU said he was later taken to a local hospital for X-rays to his chest area. Initial reports were that Nelson had perhaps suffered a concussion.
The results of those X-rays show Nelson has a fractured rib and a “small pneumothorax” in his lung. He stayed overnight in the hospital and is unlikely to play next week.
Jake Heaps, who started the season at quarterback, took over for Nelson and finished the game with a solid 15-of-20 performance with 185 yards passing, touchdowns and an interception.